Years from now, Michael Hsu and his architecture firm will likely be viewed as being responsible as anyone in his field for influencing the way Austin looks and feels.

While the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has been turning out designs for houses, office buildings and restaurants since 2005, the firm and its reputation have caught fire in the past couple of years due to his designs of many of Austin’s iconic — and potentially iconic — businesses and buildings.

Hsu’s name, pronounced “shoe,” seems to come up weekly as new projects around the city are announced, and his assignments are growing in size.

He’s the lead architect for Lamar Union, the massive mixed-use development by Greystar Real Estate Partners on South Lamar Boulevard known for its Alamo Drafthouse. Hsu also continues to produce new incarnations of growing local restaurant chains such as Snap Kitchen, Amy’s Ice Creams and P. Terry’s Burger Stand. Other recent work includes the design of a new Spanish tapas bar on South Lamar Boulevard named Barlata; the creation of Sway — an unconventional Thai-inspired restaurant that features communal tables and has garnered rave reviews; the renovation of the Mansion at Judge’s Hill boutique hotel; creative workspaces at 916 Springdale Road; and the design of Liberty Kitchen Oyster Bar, which will open next year on West Fifth Street.

On top of all that, there are some other big projects in the works not yet ready for public disclosure.

Hsu’s firm — with 16 employees, including co-principals Maija Kreishman and Jay Colombo — has racked up numerous awards from various chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the International Interior Design Association. Most recently the Austin Chapter of AIA gave the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture its honor award for Uchiko restaurant on North Lamar Boulevard. Sister restaurant Uchi in Houston has garnered awards from Interior Design magazine and IIDA’s Texas-Oklahoma chapter. And the list goes on for a wide range of projects from the design of an ultra chic penthouse at the W Austin Hotel & Residences to the more funky design of Icenhauer’s bar on Rainey Street to an elegant office of Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery.

Seeing the nuances

“We’ve been very fortunate,” said Hsu, whose growing high profile seems to be tempered by a humble persona. “We’ve really only done a handful of restaurants here, but our clients have been very successful at what they do. They have a shared sensitivity of how design contributes to a successful launch.”

Patrick Terry, co-founder of P. Terry’s Burger Stand, said that shared sensitivity was apparent from the first meeting he had with Hsu.

Terry and his wife wanted googie architecture, a style he described as “a classic, timeless look” with sharp lines and lots of big windows. It was popular in the 1950s and early 1960s, especially in Southern California.

“We interviewed several architects, and nobody ever heard of it,” Terry said. “Then we talked to Michael, and before we could say anything, he said, ‘Oh you mean, googie architecture?’ That’s when we knew we’d found our architect.”

Hsu has designed every P. Terry’s except the original one on South Lamar Boulevard. The newest location opened a few weeks ago at 12301 N. Mopac Expressway.

Terry’s favorite place in all of his stores is a particular corner of the burger stand at West 32nd Street and North Lamar Boulevard.

“There’s this wonderful use of wood, glass and stone all in one corner, and it’s just a place where you want to be,” Terry said. “Michael sees the little nuances that you don’t. He thinks of new dimensions that you haven’t thought of. He always delivers what you want and more.”

Beyond ‘the flashy point’

Restaurateur James Holmes is amazed at Hsu’s versatility. Holmes commissioned him to create Olivia, an elegant and serene restaurant that was built from the ground up, and Lucy’s Fried Chicken, a quirky and fun eatery that was repurposed from a taco joint in an aging structure near South Congress Avenue and Oltorf Street.

“At first you look at the lines, the flow and the light,” Holmes said. “That’s the flashy part, but what Michael really does is walk through the enormous amount of paperwork and requirements with the city of Austin. That can be a nightmare, but he is able to point out ahead of time things you don’t want to do and things you need to do. It’s stuff you really wouldn’t have a clue about.”

Hsu’s years of working with multiple city departments has made him an invaluable asset, Holmes said.

“He’s very patient and very calm. He really helps you understand the process,” Holmes said.

People besides clients have appreciated Hsu’s grasp of the nondesign aspects of archicture, including other architects, who have benefited from his technical competence and government rapport, said Richard Weiss, founder of Weiss Architecture Inc. in Austin.

“He invests a significant amount of time working with the city to create better ordinances and make the process easier for everyone as the commercial liaison to the AIA advocacy committee,” Weiss said.

That depth of knowledge should come in handy for Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, which is building Lamar Union, a complicated excavation and complete mixed-use redevelopment of an aging retail center on South Lamar Boulevard. When completed, the project will again be home to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and will include 400 apartments, 85,000 square feet of retail and underground parking.

Derek Brown, managing director of Greystar, said the Charleston, S.C.-based firm felt it was imperative to maintain Austin sensibilities with the new design, a consideration that elevated Hsu to the top of its go-to list.

“So many South Austin neighbors had emotional ties to the property that is being replaced, and we knew that to bring them back, we had to create something unique that was in keeping with the spirit of South Austin,” Brown said. “It was clear to us from looking at Michael’s work that he and his team get it. They have the ability to design spaces that Austinites truly value.”

Hsu said he appreciates that Greystar didn’t choose to have the project designed elsewhere “and just dropped down on the site.” He’s also thrilled that most of the space will be occupied by Austin businesses.

“They’ve attracted strong local tenants that will make this a real destination draw in South Austin,” Hsu said.

Flying into new architectural territory

Though the Lamar Union project is his largest to date, Hsu’s comfortable stretching beyond his comfort zone.

He got some practice last year when he designed iFLY, an indoor skydiving simulation facility on Research Boulevard in Northwest Austin. Alan Metni — CEO of Austin-based SkyVenture LLC, the parent company of iFLY — didn’t have a moment’s hesitation hiring Hsu to create the unconventional building that houses a large recreational wind tunnel. He was familiar with Hsu’s restaurant work — “I’ve liked his designs,” Metni said — and assumed the hospitality design guru could handle the challenging project at hand.

The 8,500-square-feet building is the equivalent of seven stories tall and required some unusual excavation and utility work.

“It’s meant to look modern and cutting edge and at the same time make mom and dad feel comfortable about bringing their kids here,” Metni said.

Hsu delivered that with flying colors.

“He did a great job,” Metni said.

By successfully designing an array of difficult projects, Hsu hopes other developers will allow him to stretch his creative canvas in new directions.

“What we do really well are the small adaptive reuse projects that keep Austin organic, but yeah, we’d love to do a downtown high-rise and more institutional work,” Hsu said.

While his influence has grown exponentially since he started the firm, it’s still been defined mostly by a critical mass of small design assignments. Despite the diminutive footprint, Hsu has won the admiration of other Austin architects such as Weiss.

“Michael Hsu is a tremendous asset to the architectural community and Austin as a whole,” Weiss said. “He is a great designer with an ability to make architecture that is unique while still being recognizable as his work. There is a sense of sequence and discovery in every project, and he creates intimate moments that add up to cohesive and beautiful spaces.”